Hello, this year would be my first year in Nursing at a polytechnic. I was shorlisted for an interview for a sponsorship from SGH, and I have to serve a 3year bond upon graduation. I was wondering, what is the salary like upon graduation and what is the increment?

Really need help. Thanks in advance.

Hi there,

if i'm not wrong, i did find out from the website that the starting pay will be $1.6 or 1.7 k, excluding allowances. Which i think can amt up to abt $1.8 maybe? (havent taken into acct CPF deduction) Not sure if such allowance is even applicable in the first year....will start as staff nurse II, thereafter at least 2 years may go up to staff nurse I? i think the range of increment won't be huge in the firs few years....i heard like $50 and ard.....someone please advise! thank you!

Salary on graduation is pretty standard across the restructured hspt. 1600 for females. 1760 for males. Excluding all sorts of allowances of course. With allowance, salary can hit about 1900 (before CPF).

Allowance is applicable the moment you join. No such thing as claiming allowance only when you are a SN I. Various allowance include Rotating shift allowance, meal allowance, night shift allowance, post graduate studies allowance, specialty allowance etc.

1) Sorry if it's not appropriate to ask this and here, but may i know the pay of a degree holder in nursing? I heard the increments are only $50 to $100?EDIT
I found this website which sort of answered this qtn...i hope it is not too far off...http://www.ncss.org.sg/career/salary.asp

2) I completed A levels and signed up for NYP nursing and at the same time applying for Nursing degree at NUS too. Let's say i enroll in NYP nursing, and decide to be bonded for a sponsorship. If i were to take up the bond at year 1, i will have to be bonded for 3 years. Does the number of years which i receive the monthly allowance correspond with the no. of years i have to serve? What if i only take up the bond at year 2 or 3? Do i still serve a 1, 2 or 3-year bond? Anyone did that?

3) let's say i have a bond with the hospital (be it 1, 2 or 3 years), can i ask for another sponsorship for a degree immediately after the diploma? or at any time during my bond? Has anyone or known anyone who did that?

4) Though there are these ranks on staff nurse II, staff nurse I, senior staff nurse etc to nurse educator/manager director etc, how do you all find the potential prospects of it all, in terms of job scope, and of course money. Bread and butter issue comes in every now and then...It seems like there can be people with nursing background taking up lots of qualifications and earning fine in other areas but i'm curious as to how many people actually do that? Is it true that most nurses are "stucked", esp in Sg?

On the other note, how did you all find coping with shift work? This, i meant the time spent with family (our parents and siblings). I'm worried about this, i just hope to be there and around my parents and family, just there when they grow old and everything...but am worried that when i'm at work they are at home, when i'm home it's their bedtime...and vice versa. I understand nurses just have to work shifts and 6 days, but how are you all coping with this and how has it affected you?

Really appreciate all your replies, thank you!

1)NUS degree holders draw 2.5k a month exclude allowance.

2)Depending on each HR practices. Some allow you to sign for 2 years while they pay you for 2 years. Others require you to serve for 3 years even though they only pay you for 2 years.

3)Possible if you are outstanding. Simply defer your bond. Else finish your bond and declare your interest for further studies.

4)Dont expect to earn like people in other sectors such as banking etc. Part of the reason for affordable healthcare is because healthcare worker's pay is not sky high. Nurses are stucked in Sg cause they have no idea what they want to be and as time goes by, they get comfortable with their work environment and simply refuse to venture out. Be what you want to be, not what others want you to be. Nurses don't have to remain as clinical nurses in the hospital forever.

Shift work gets really draining after a couple of years and eventually, many people choose to work perm morning shifts or 2 rotating shifts (instead of 3 rotating shifts). But there are others who are coping real well and that after 10+ years in clinicals, are still doing 3 rotating shifts.

1) May I know if the pay of degree holders of other Australian Unis (Accredited by SNB) the same as that of NUS Uni?

2) Is it possible to indicate to the HR the various specialty (OT, surgical ward etc) that I'm interested in even before they assign?

Sorry if I'm asking too many qtns here, but thank you lots if they can be answered

Ehh... u cant compare it this way.

the NUS degree is a Pre-reg degree. after they grad and join the workforce, they start out as SN I while the polytechnic RNs start off as SN II. So the NUS holders draw a 2.5k salary because of -
1) Education
2) Rank

the Aussie Uni degrees are Post-reg degrees. Meaning, you have to prior relavant education (Dip in Nursing) before studying.

these degrees take an average of 2 yrs to complete and they require nurses to have a 1 yr prior work experience before signing up. So say if you signed up the degree course after 1 yr of clinical experience, by the time you finished the degree course, you are a 3 year old Staff Nurse.

Since you are a 3 year old staff nurse, most prolly you would been promoted to SN I (SN II to SN I generally takes 1-2yrs).

So add up your education allowance + your salary increment and voila. your pay package per month would also be similar to them.

HR will ask you for your preference when you are about to join the hospital (after PRCP). However, this is only a request. HR still has the final say to where they want to post you to. Specialized area such as OT, ED, ICU may even hold interviews conducted by the sister to assess suitability.

May I know how do nurses go on to take their degress after the diploma in NYP/NP? For the NUS degree, after being exempted for some modules ( i suppose), how long will it take for you to complete the course? Is the duration the same for pre-reg (so after dip immediately take the dip) or and post-reg(have worked for a few years then go on to study) It's only for full-time studies?

For the Australian post-reg degrees accredited by SNB, for Unisim with Uni of Sdyney in particular, i read on the website that it is not advisable to be working at the same time as the workload will be very heavy? Then how do those go on to take on the degrees on a part-time basis which is 2 years? they only study and not working at all? Or how are the shifts like? Or sth else? Or just take it full time for 1 year? So it means if one has been working for like 2 years, then while going on to take the degree either on a part-time (2 years) or full-time basis (1 year), one will still be considered for the promotion?

If one were to go for the degree sponsored by the hospital, how many years do you have to be bonded for the degree? part-time or full time and duration of course and duration of bond?

May I know how do nurses go on to take their degress after the diploma in NYP/NP? For the NUS degree, after being exempted for some modules ( i suppose), how long will it take for you to complete the course? Is the duration the same for pre-reg (so after dip immediately take the dip) or and post-reg(have worked for a few years then go on to study) It's only for full-time studies?

For the Australian post-reg degrees accredited by SNB, for Unisim with Uni of Sdyney in particular, i read on the website that it is not advisable to be working at the same time as the workload will be very heavy? Then how do those go on to take on the degrees on a part-time basis which is 2 years? they only study and not working at all? Or how are the shifts like? Or sth else? Or just take it full time for 1 year? So it means if one has been working for like 2 years, then while going on to take the degree either on a part-time (2 years) or full-time basis (1 year), one will still be considered for the promotion?

If one were to go for the degree sponsored by the hospital, how many years do you have to be bonded for the degree? part-time or full time and duration of course and duration of bond?

Thank you for all your replies, I really appreciate them

after module exemption if you have a Dip in nursing from NYP / NP, NUS still needs you to stay for 3 years (w/o honors). If you take a look at the timetable from their website, you would see that there is still some modules that you need to take per semester (meaning you have to stay for 6 semesters = 3 years)

If you decide to pursue a degree after your diploma, just indicate your interest to your ward sister and she will make changes to your shift work so that you can attend classes w/o any clashes with your shift.

Majority of the post-reg degrees can be completed in i) 2 years part time. or ii) 1 year full time.

If you choose to take the 2 years part time, you can still work and study at the same time. However, if you take the 1 year full time, the workload is pretty heavy and therefore the university side recommend them to take no pay leave for 1 year and just study.

But having said that, ultimate decision lies with the student and the hospital's side input.

You don't need a degree to get you promoted from SN II to SN I. You need a degree in order to get promoted to SSN or NO level.

the NUS degree is a Pre-reg degree. after they grad and join the workforce, they start out as SN I while the polytechnic RNs start off as SN II. So the NUS holders draw a 2.5k salary because of -
1) Education
2) Rank

the Aussie Uni degrees are Post-reg degrees. Meaning, you have to prior relavant education (Dip in Nursing) before studying.

these degrees take an average of 2 yrs to complete and they require nurses to have a 1 yr prior work experience before signing up. So say if you signed up the degree course after 1 yr of clinical experience, by the time you finished the degree course, you are a 3 year old Staff Nurse.

Since you are a 3 year old staff nurse, most prolly you would been promoted to SN I (SN II to SN I generally takes 1-2yrs).

So add up your education allowance + your salary increment and voila. your pay package per month would also be similar to them.

HR will ask you for your preference when you are about to join the hospital (after PRCP). However, this is only a request. HR still has the final say to where they want to post you to. Specialized area such as OT, ED, ICU may even hold interviews conducted by the sister to assess suitability.

I got past the Australian Post Registration Degree criteria with a diploma in Nursing and ZERO experience about 10 years ago. It was a conditional offer that USYD gave me back then which meant " screw up and get expelled". I got that through a written appeal letter when they rejected my initial application. And it has to be done on-campus overseas in Sydney.

May I know how do nurses go on to take their degress after the diploma in NYP/NP? For the NUS degree, after being exempted for some modules ( i suppose), how long will it take for you to complete the course? Is the duration the same for pre-reg (so after dip immediately take the dip) or and post-reg(have worked for a few years then go on to study) It's only for full-time studies?

For the Australian post-reg degrees accredited by SNB, for Unisim with Uni of Sdyney in particular, i read on the website that it is not advisable to be working at the same time as the workload will be very heavy? Then how do those go on to take on the degrees on a part-time basis which is 2 years? they only study and not working at all? Or how are the shifts like? Or sth else? Or just take it full time for 1 year? So it means if one has been working for like 2 years, then while going on to take the degree either on a part-time (2 years) or full-time basis (1 year), one will still be considered for the promotion?

If one were to go for the degree sponsored by the hospital, how many years do you have to be bonded for the degree? part-time or full time and duration of course and duration of bond?

Thank you for all your replies, I really appreciate them

It is better to study overseas after a diploma and acquire additional registration overseas. It open doors and your mind to a whole different world. Promotions overseas is based on clinical performance and knowledge, and you are not tied down to number of experential years. What takes 5 years in Singapore to achieve is doable overseas in a matter of 2-3 years .

The UniSIMS are a waste of time frankly with no real advantage for most people. The amount you pay for a unisim degree is more than the amount you earn back with the degree.